Communications within an organization are critical for coordinating effort, gathering planning data, distributing plans and goals, and tracking performance. Organizational communications tend to occur along two different channels. One channel is a rigidly defined communications hierarchy that is governed by organizational structures and policies. The second channel is gossip transmitted by mouth, informal email, or other messaging. The reason that the two channels must exist is that central planners can not predict, plan, and define all the information flows required in a healthy organization.
Organizational structures, however, are changing. A loosely defined structure containing informally defined groups that work cooperatively can often outperform a rigidly defined corporate structure having mandates from above and reporting from below. Groups of people having similar interests, goals, or vision often form informal groups and perform work that pleases the group members. The work itself can range from playing in a band to simulating protein folding at the molecular level.
Some organizations attempt to stifle all work that is not part of a larger plan. Other organizations try to harness the creative energies and efforts of the informal groups. Unfortunately, harnessing usually results in transforming an informal group into a rigidly defined group and loses the benefits of informality. One of the benefits of informal groups is a natural sharing of the group vision. A second benefit is a nuanced evolution of the group vision. Another benefit is the sense of ownership shared by the group members.
Formal organizations having rigidly defined hierarchies and communications also have benefits and strengths. For example, progress reports can help identify projects that are over performing, underperforming, stagnating, in need of help, or nearing an important milestone. Furthermore, rigidly structured organizations can excel at marshalling resources and coordinating large projects. Furthermore, a greater number of people can currently be organized hierarchically than informally. Large organizations actually benefit from having rigidly defined communications channels.
Systems and methods that allow the data sharing and communications typical of informal groups to pervade a large organization are needed so that smaller informal type groups can benefit from membership in large organizations and so that large organizations can benefit from the vision and dynamic nature of smaller informal groups.